Marianapolis teacher's 'Jeopardy' dream a reality

Sunday

In the category Quiet Corner notables, the answer is prep school teacher who fulfilled a lifelong dream.

In the category Quiet Corner notables, the answer is prep school teacher who fulfilled a lifelong dream.

Who is Joe Parodi?

Parodi, 24 a Spanish teacher at Marianapolis Preparatory School, recently was a contestant on the trivia show “Jeopardy.” The episode featuring him will air Wednesday.

“The whole experience was incredible,” Parodi said. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I used to watch the show with my parents as a kid.”

Parodi took an online test in January to compete on the show. So many people take the test, he realized he might not get an audition, even if he qualified.

Three months later, Parodi was invited to Boston for an audition, another test, an interview and a simulated game.

In May, he got the call to fly to Culver City, Calif., to be a contestant.

Being on “Jeopardy,” with cameras rolling and buzzer in hand, is completely different from sitting on the couch yelling out answers, Parodi said.

“Being on stage at the podiums was just absolutely bizarre to me, and I really tried to soak it up,” he said.

He also enjoyed watching host Alex Trebek work behind the scenes.

“He talked and joked with the crowd a lot,” Parodi said. “There’s something surreal about it.”

The hardest part for Parodi wasn’t the pressure of being filmed for millions of viewers or jogging his memory for obscure facts, it was using the buzzer to beat his opponents to the question.

The buzzer, he said, is a sensitive joystick that requires precise timing. The contestant were allowed to practice before the show.

“You know the two other people are going to be buzzing in, and you have a very short window,” Parodi said. “Holding the buzzer, using the buzzer, it really separates the experience from playing at home.”

Parodi can’t divulge the details of the show until it airs. But his co-workers and students already feel he’s accomplished something special.

“When people found out he was going to be on, they were very excited,” fellow teacher Andrew Vitale said. “It takes not only a smart person, it takes somebody special to make the show. To even make it on is an accomplishment in itself.”

Marianapolis student Katherine Kelly, 15, has invited students to her Shrewsbury, Mass., home Wednesday to watch the show and cheer Parodi on.